Quebec
- Baie-du-Febvre/Nicolet-south segment 8 2010-11
- Protection of Forested Wetlands – Eastern Habitat Joint Venture 2010-11
- Protection of Wetland Coastal Habitats of Gaspésie 2010-11
- Protection of Wetlands in the Ottawa Valley, Bristol and Clarendon 2010-11
- Forest-Wildlife Program - Protection of Wetlands, EHJV 2009-10
- Conservation in Perpetuity of 3 Properties Located in Appalachian Corridor 2009-10
- Protection of Wetlands in Ottawa Valley 2009-10
- Stewardship and Protection of the St. Lawrence Islands 2009-10
- Completing the Grace Island Meadow Restoration Work 2008-09
- Integrated Forest-Wildlife Management Program - Protection of Wetlands, EHJV 2008-09
- Development of a Model for Detailed Mapping of Wetlands in Quebec: the RCM of Assomption 2008-09
- Rehabilitation of the Bank of the Touraine Marsh 2008-09
Rehabilitation of the Bank of the Touraine Marsh 2008-09
Goals and Objectives
Association for the Environment of the Limbour district (APEL) wants to protect the biological integrity of the Touraine marsh which shelters unique winged wildlife in an urban environment. The principal objective of the project is to restore to the perimeter of the marsh, a natural space for the well-being of wildlife. This project is integrated into the mission of our organization which is, among others, "to undertake actions which aim to enhance, to protect and rehabilitate the environment of the district." Since 2003, APEL organizes the cleaning of the Touraine marsh. Forty volunteers take part in it annually. The rehabilitation of the bank is part of furthering the protection of the marsh by APEL. This project will allow our members and many volunteers to undertake another firm action in order to ensure and increase the quality of this wetland.
Activities
APEL wishes to rehabilitate the bank of the Touraine marsh by stabilizing it using mechanical and natural means. The restoration of the bank must be done in two stages to ensure the durability of the work. Having a severe problem of erosion, a part of the coastline will have to be covered with rocks which will resist erosion. At present, the geotextile which covers the pier is completely exposed due to the erosion and the habits of the residents. We will then carry out a natural stabilization by planting shrubs and trees and by sowing the bare surfaces with a mixture of seeds of herbaceous plants adapted to the site. Close to the park bench, a sidewalk will be built around it in order to avoid the residents trampling on the restored site.
Specific Habitat Products/Results to be Supported by WHC’s Contributions
The financial support of Wildlife Habitat Canada will make it possible to finance the recruiting of a technician in planning the (rehabilitation of the) banks. This consultant will guide us in the best techniques to be taken to restore the marsh bank and thus to increase the quality of this wetland. We received the collaboration of civil servants in the city of Gatineau to make sure that our project falls within the standards of park planning. We will also use the contributions of WHC to rent the machinery and to acquire the material necessary to restore the bank by the techniques explained above in the Activities section.
In the city of Gatineau, the Touraine marsh is the only place that was the subject of planning by a provincial ministry to preserve the quality of the habitat there. The Touraine marsh forms part of the 3% of wetlands which are found within the limits of the city (Del Degan, Massé and Associated Inc. April 2004. Characterization of wooded areas in the city of Gatineau). Its protection is essential to the biological diversity of the municipality.
Benefits to Waterfowl, Wetlands-Associated Species, and/or Other Wildlife
Rip rap (large sized stone or boulders used extensively to control erosion) will reduce the streaming which wears down the bank and adds sediments into the marsh. The vegetation on the bank will make it possible to add a protective section for the waterfowl: the nesting species (Wood Duck, Mallard Duck, Black Duck, Crowned Mergansers, Canada Goose, and Red-Winged Blackbird, among others) will be able to move about there with their young, sheltered from the eyes of the passers by. This section will be used as buffer zone between the bicycle track and the marsh, where insects, amphibians, small mammals and birds will be able to move about there sheltered from people and their domestic animals. The addition of shrubs and trees will add shade cover to the marsh, decreasing the temperature of the water, one of the causes of the proliferation of filamentous algae which is a recurring problem in the Touraine marsh. This problem is the subject of a chapter in three Ministry of Transport of Quebec reports on environmental monitoring (2001, 2004 and 2006). The evaporation of the marsh water will be reduced as a result. Of a depth varying from a few centimetres to one meter, the marsh shelters an aquatic wildlife which will be able to benefit from this rehabilitation.
Relevance to Habitat Planning, Decision Making and/or Management
Without rehabilitation of the bank, vegetation will not be able to be planted on this portion of the marsh. The pier built at the time of the work in 1997 was compacted to make sure that the marsh does not infiltrate towards the La Vérendrye Boulevard. Thus it is necessary to take direct action on the site, to make it possible for the vegetation to be established and thereafter, nature will take its course. The streaming and erosion will reduce, as well as the sedimentation in the marsh. It follows that the improvement of the quality of the water of the marsh will have beneficial effects well beyond its perimeter. Having an area of 4 hectares, the Touraine marsh forms part of the catchment area of the Gatineau River. Its filter action makes it possible to reject less polluted water towards this river which is recognized for its multiple sites of reproduction for several fish species.
Rehabilitation work will be coordinated by holding accountable the volunteers which will take part: the big work by the adults, the planting by the young people. Their participation will be rewarded by the results which will be visible very early. The city of Gatineau will also emerge as a winner by having a natural site which will enable it to regild its image as a green city.
Project Location
The Touraine marsh is located in the city of Gatineau, Gatineau sector, more specifically in the Limbour district inside the Rene-Lévesque Park. It is in a depression between the residential districts of Mount Luc, Limbour Farm and Riviera. The tributary is fed by a branch (north-west) of the Laurin stream (or Desjardins) but especially by the streaming and the sewer storm-waters from the Érablière High School which overhangs the marsh on the western side. The neighbouring forest is of mixed type, especially composed of leafy trees (beech, ash and maple) and some coniferous trees (cedars and pines). The wooded areas are strewn with paths created by the residents and the students who plough through the woods to go from one residential district to another and to the Érablière High School.
Please click here to view the project location map (pdf file).
Project Contact
For more information on this project, please contact Diane Paré, President, Association for the Environment of the Limbour district (APEL), Gatineau, Quebec.